Autor: arhiprofesor

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Three Prayers – 1

Article No. 30, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

It is written in The Zohar, Balak (item 187): “Three are the ones called ‘prayer’: a prayer for Moses, a prayer for David, a prayer for the poor. Of those three, which is the most important? A prayer for the poor. This prayer precedes the prayer of Moses and precedes the prayer of David. What is the reason? It is because a poor is brokenhearted, and it is written, ‘The Lord is near to the brokenhearted.’ The poor always quarrels with the Creator, and the Creator listens and hears his words, ‘a prayer for the poor when he is weak [also: wraps].’ It should have said, ‘when he is wrapped’; what is ‘when he wraps’? It means that he creates a delay, delaying all the prayers in the world, which do not enter until his prayer enters. The Creator alone is unified with these grievances, as it is written, ‘and pours out his words before the Lord.’ All the hosts of heaven ask one another, ‘What does the Creator do? In what is He exerting?’ They are told, ‘He is becoming passionately unified with His Kelim [vessels],’ meaning with the brokenhearted. This prayer causes delay and postponement to all the prayers in the world.”

Concerning these three prayers, we should understand the difference between the prayers of Moses, David, and the poor. What is the importance of the poor, in that he has grievances against the Creator, and for which he delays all the prayers? We should also understand what it means that it delays all the prayers in the world? Is the Creator unable to answer all the prayers at once? Does He need to take up time, as though they need to stand in line one-by-one?

We will interpret this in the work, for all these prayers apply to one person. These are three consecutive states in the order of the work. We find that there are three deficiencies that one should ask the Creator to satisfy for him: 1) Torah, which is called “Moses,” 2) the kingdom of heaven, 3) a poor, who is brokenhearted, pertaining to his Kelim.

We should understand why he says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,” which is called “close.” We learn that “close” means equivalence of form. But how can we speak of equivalence of form with the Creator if he is brokenhearted? We should also understand what we learn, “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him in truth.” That is, what is “close”? “Truth” is called “close,” and brokenhearted is not called “close.” We should also understand the grievance that the poor has against the Creator, as though the Creator is saying that the poor is right, for we see that because of the grievances He listens to him more than to others, as said in the above words of the holy Zohar.

But it is written in The Zohar (“Introduction of the Book of Zohar,” item 174): “Rabbi Shimon started, ‘One who rejoices in holidays and does not give his share to the Creator.’” In The Zohar (item 175), he explains what is the share of the Creator: “The share of the Creator is to delight the poor as much as he can, for on holidays the Creator comes to see His broken Kelim.”

He interprets in the Sulam [Ladder commentary on The Zohar] why the Creator’s share is for the poor, pertaining to the breaking of the vessels that preceded the creation of the world. In his words: “By the breaking of the Kelim of Kedusha [holiness] and their fall into the separated BYA, sparks of Kedusha fell into the Klipot [shells/peels]. From them, all sorts of pleasures and fancies come into the domain of the Klipot, for the sparks transfer them into man’s reception and for his pleasure. By that, they cause all kinds of transgressions, such as theft, robbery, and murder.”

Accordingly, we should interpret what it means that a poor’s complaint is with a grievance. He says, “Why is it my fault that He has created me from broken vessels, because of which I have within me all the evil lusts and evil thoughts? All this came to me only because I extend from the breaking of the vessels, which was the first place where they wanted to extend the upper abundance into the vessels of reception with the intention to receive in order to receive, and not at all with the intention to bestow. Because of it, self-love has been installed in me, and for this reason I am far from anything spiritual and have no part in Kedusha, which is founded only on vessels that have the intention to bestow. It follows that all my suffering at having no access to Kedusha and seeing that I am far from You due to the disparity of form that I have as a result of self-love, which is the whole enemy that is in my heart, He is the one who causes all of my bad states. It all came because You created me this way!”

For this reason, he comes with complaints and says, “I cannot change the nature with which You created me, but I want that just as You have created me with self-love, now You will give me a second nature, as You have given me the first, meaning a desire to bestow, for I cannot fight against the nature that You have imprinted in me. Moreover, I have evidence that it is Your fault that I haven’t the strength to overcome. Our sages said (Kidushin 30), ‘Rabbi Shimon Ben Levi said, ‘Man’s inclination overpowers him each day and seeks to put him to death, as it was said, ‘The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.’ Were it not for the Creator’s help, he would not have overcome it, as it was said, ‘God will not leave him in his hand.’”

It follows that the grievances of the poor are justified. That is, he hasn’t the strength to overcome it if the Creator does not help him, as our sages said. Therefore, he comes with a complaint to the Creator that only He can help, and none other, as it is implied from the words of our sages that the Creator did so deliberately, so there would be a need for prayer, since “The Creator awaits the prayer of the righteous,” meaning those who pray that they want to be righteous. The reason for this was explained in the previous essays of Baal HaSulam.

It therefore follows that his grievances with the Creator for creating him in such lowliness is justified, meaning that the Creator Himself made it so that he cannot expect anything to help him but the Creator. This is why the prayer of the poor is called “brokenhearted,” meaning it comes from the breaking of the vessels. It follows that the argument of the brokenhearted is a true argument, and truth is called “close” because it is in equivalence of form with the Creator. This is why this prayer is answered first, since here begins the order of the work.

By this we will understand what we asked, that here he says that “close” means brokenhearted, and there we learned that “near” is true, as it is written, “The Lord is near (called) to all who call upon Him in truth.” The answer is that the argument of the brokenhearted is a true argument. It follows that the two are the same, meaning that we must know that when we come to pray to the Creator we must speak to him words of truth.

This is what we explained in the previous article [29, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey], that when he comes to pray to the Creator he needs to ask the Creator to help him: “Since I am truly in the worst state in the world, for although there might be lower people than I, both in Torah and in work, they do not feel the truth as I see my situation. Therefore, they still do not have the deficiency that I have, and therefore do not need Your help so much. But I do see my true state—that I am completely disconnected from spirituality after all the work that I have done both in time and in effort. And yet, now I see that ‘the former days were better than these,’ and as much as I may try to go forward, I feel that I am going backwards.” This is called “a true argument,” and to such it is possible to attribute equivalence of form with the Creator in that he is making a true argument.

By this we will understand the question, “Why does the prayer of the poor delay all the prayers? Is the Creator unable to answer all the prayers at once?” we need to learn all three prayers in one body. This means that it is impossible to answer everything a person asks, except by order of degree that a person can receive. That is, if he receives this, it will be to his best. But if he receives some satisfaction that he wants it will be to his detriment, and his wish will certainly not be granted because the Creator wants to benefit him and not harm him.

Therefore, the lower one must receive from above according to what the lower one really needs. This is why he must pray for his poverty, that he has grievances that He created him with a will to receive, which he feels is causing all the evil in him and causing all his troubles. Afterwards he can ask to be given the kingdom of heaven, for he has already been given vessels of bestowal and can already receive faith, called “kingdom of heaven.”

That is, one cannot attain the burden of the kingdom of heaven, called “faith,” before he has vessels of bestowal, as he says in the Sulam (“Introduction of the Book of Zohar,” p 138): “It is a law that the creature cannot receive apparent harm from Him, for it is a flaw in His glory that the creature should perceive Him as doing harm, for it is inappropriate for the perfect Operator. Hence, when one feels bad, to that extent there is denial of His guidance upon him and the Operator is hidden from him.”

Therefore, first one should receive strength from above to have a second nature, which is the desire to bestow. Subsequently, he can ask for another degree, which is David, meaning the kingdom of heaven. It follows that the prayer of the poor delays all the other prayers, meaning that before the poor receives his wish, one cannot acquire higher degrees. This is why it is written, “A prayer for the poor when he is weak [also “wraps”].”

Then comes the second prayer, which is the prayer for David, being the kingdom of heaven, when he asks to have faith, to feel the Operator who operates with His guidance over the entire world. This is so because now he can already perceive the Creator as doing good, as written in the Sulam, since he already has vessels of bestowal. Thus, he can already see how He is doing good.

It follows that it is impossible to obtain faith, which is the kingdom of heaven, before one has acquired the correction of the qualities—to always be ready to bestow and not receive in order to receive. Otherwise from above he is not permitted to obtain faith. This is regarded as the prayer of the poor delaying all the prayers. That is, before a person reveals his deficiency—that he is immersed in self-love, and wants to emerge from it—it is pointless to ask for other things.

Afterwards comes the time for the prayer for Moses, which is regarded as the Torah. This is so because it is impossible to be rewarded with the Torah before he obtains faith, for “It is forbidden to teach idol-worshippers the Torah,” as it was said, “This is the law [Torah] that Moses set before the children of Israel.” And it is written in The Zohar: “It is forbidden to teach idol-worshippers the Torah,” and “One who circumcised himself but does not keep the commandments of the Torah is as though he was not circumcised, as it is written (Jethro), ‘If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your sword on it, you will profane it.’ Although you wielded your sword on it, meaning he circumcised himself, he profanes it, which means that he profaned the circumcision.”

This means that even one who is circumcised and has Jewish parents is still not regarded as “Israel” with respect to the Torah, meaning that it is permitted to learn with him Torah, if he is not keeping the commandments of the Torah. This is what is implied from the above words of The Zohar.

It is written in The Zohar (Pinhas, item 68): “‘And wine makes man’s heart glad.’ This is the wine of Torah, for wine is the same number as Sod [secret]. As the wine must be concealed and sealed so it is not poured into idol-worship, so is the Torah: it must be concealed and sealed, and all her secrets are poured out only to those who fear Him.”

Thus, the prayer for Moses, which is the Torah, is a degree that comes after the kingdom of heaven, called fear. This is the meaning of the Torah being given specifically to those who fear Him. This is also the meaning of what our sages said, “The hand Tefillin precedes the head Tefillin,” since it is written, “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals between your eyes.”

The holy Zohar interprets that the hand Tefillin is Malchut, and the head Tefillin is ZA. The hand Tefillin should be covered because it is written, “And it shall be as a sign to you on your hand,” and they explained “To you as a sign, and not to others as a sign.” Baal HaSulam said that Malchut is called “faith.” For this reason, it must be concealed, which means that because Malchut is faith above reason, it is called “concealment.” Therefore, once he acquires faith, which is called “kingdom of heaven,” he can be rewarded with the Torah, called ZA, which implies the head Tefillin, where there is already disclosure of Torah. This is why our sages said about the verse, “And all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will be afraid of you,” that these are the head Tefillin, where there is seeing.

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

The Lord Is Near to All Who Call upon Him

Article No. 29, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

It is written in The Zohar, Hukat (item 78): “From this we learn that anyone who wishes to evoke things above—in an act or in a word—if that act or that word is not done properly, nothing is evoked. All the people in the world go to the synagogue to evoke a matter above, but few are the ones who know how to evoke. The Creator is near to all those who know how to call upon Him and to evoke a matter properly. But if they do not know how to call upon Him, He is not close, as it is written, ‘The Lord is near to all those who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.’ What is ‘in truth’? ‘In truth’ means that they know how to properly evoke a true matter. So it is in everything.”

This means that one who does not know how to call upon Him should not go to the synagogue because if he does not know how to call upon Him, it means that his prayer is not accepted. Thus, there is an excuse here, so he explained that it is not enough to not go to the synagogue because he does not know how to call upon Him. Therefore, one should know what to do in order to know how to call upon Him and be close to the Creator.

The Zohar comes and explains to us about that what we should know, and then we should exert to come to know it. It says that knowing is only truth, that one who calls upon Him in truth is close to the Creator. Accordingly, if knowing means that he called upon Him in truth, what is new here when he says that with the Creator it means that there must be special knowledge in order to call upon the Creator? The meaning of the verse that says, “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,” is that it is without exceptions, meaning that He is close to everyone, without exceptions. Afterwards the verse ends with a condition, which appears to be a major stipulation. What is the condition? He should call upon Him in truth! This is the principal condition required of man.

Regarding this principal condition required of man, which is called “truth,” usually, when someone calls another person, if the other person knows that he is calling him falsely, he is bound to ignore his calling him because he knows that he is calling him falsely, so he pretends not to hear him, since he is calling him falsely.

Thus, what is the principal condition required of man? Certainly, when it comes to the Creator there must be special requirements that do not apply to people, but this condition, that we must call upon Him in truth, is the smallest requirement that can be. Indeed, there is a special intention here in the stipulation of truth, and this intention is called “in truth.”

To understand the meaning of truth we should precede with the words of our sages: “Anyone who is proud, the Creator says, ‘He and I cannot dwell in the same abode.’” We should ask, “Why should the Creator care if he is proud?” If a person walks into a hen house and sees that one rooster is showing vanity over another, is the person impressed by that? Baal HaSulam said that the Creator loves the truth and cannot tolerate falsehood, as it is written, “He who speaks lies will not be established before My eyes.”

Indeed, the Creator created man with a desire to receive, which is the self-love that there is in him. This is the source of all the evil lusts that exist in the world, namely thefts, murders, and wars, they all stem from man’s will to receive. It follows that the Creator created man in utter lowliness, and he takes pride, meaning says that he is not like others. It follows that he is lying, and truth does not tolerate lies.

According to the above, if a person comes to the synagogue to ask the Creator to hear his prayer because he deserves to be heard by the Creator—to be given because he deserves, to be given by the Creator more than He gives to others, even when this concerns spirituality—then he is far from the Creator, since falsehood is far from the truth. This is why it is considered that he does not know how to call upon Him, since he is calling the Creator with a lie, and this is called “far” and not “near,” according to the spiritual law that “nearness means equivalence of form, and remoteness means disparity of form.”

Since there is no greater disparity of form than between truth and falsehood, it is regarded that he does not know how to call upon Him. The Creator is not close to him because when he is asking during the prayer, he is in falsehood for he feels that he is more virtuous than others because he sees all his faults in others. For this reason, he wants the Creator to help him.

But in truth, it is as our sages said (Kidushin, p 70), “Anyone who flaws is flawed and does not speak in praise of the world. And Shmuel said, ‘faults in his own fault.’” Because there are people who always look at others. If the other is learning as he understands or prays as he understands, then the other is fine. If he is not fine then he has found a flaw in the other.

This is similar to what Baal HaSulam said, that among the jealous there is a custom where if someone is more meticulous than him [in observing commandments], he is called “frumer” [derogatory term: overly pious], meaning too extreme. There is no point mentioning this person and it’s a waste to even think about him. But if he is less devout than him he says that the other person is far too lenient and should be persecuted to the point of banning, so he does not defile others.

That person, who comes to pray to the Creator to bring him closer because he is virtuous, is remote from the Creator, meaning in disparity of form from the Creator, since the Creator’s quality is truth, and that man’s quality is all falsehood. Therefore, it is regarded as the Creator being far from him, and therefore does not hear him.

We should ask, “If ‘the whole earth is full of His glory,’ what does it mean that the Creator is far from him?” It is as one who is standing far from another, and does not hear his voice. Therefore, in spirituality, it is known that the measure of remoteness and nearness depends on the equivalence or disparity of form.

But if a person comes to pray to the Creator and says to Him, “You must help me more than to others, since others do not need Your help that much because they are more qualified than me, and are not as immersed in self-love as I am, and have better self-discipline than me, and I see that I need Your help more than the rest of the people, since I feel my lowliness, that I am farther from You than everyone and I have come to feel as it is written, “We have no redeeming and delivering King but You.”

It follows that his argument is true, and such arguments the Creator tolerates because they are true. It was said about this, “I am the Lord, who dwells with them in the midst of their impurity.” That is, although they are immersed in self-love, which is the source of impurity, since he is making a true argument, the Creator is close to him because truth with truth means equivalence of form, and equivalence of form is called “near.”

By this we will understand the question of the holy Zohar, which implies that one who does not know how to call upon Him has no reason to go to the synagogue because the Creator will not hear his voice because he is far from the Creator if he does not know how to call upon Him. And another perplexity is that this contradicts the verse, “The Lord is high and the low will see” (Psalms 138). And what is the meaning of “low”? It is one who knows nothing, not even know how to call upon Him; he, too, will see.

With the above we will thoroughly understand that he does not need to know anything, but only his true spiritual state—that he does not know any wisdom and any moral word that will help him, and he is in the worst possible state that can be in the world. And if the Creator does not help him, he is lost. This is the only thing he needs to know—that he does not know anything and that he is the lowest of everyone. If he does not feel it, but thinks that there are worse people, then he is already in falsehood and already in remoteness from the Creator.

By this will understand the second question we asked, “What can he do in order to know how to call upon Him and be closer to Him? What should he learn in order to know? In that state, he is told that he does not need to learn anything special but simply try to walk on the path of truth, and then he will have what to pray for, meaning for necessity and not for luxuries, as it is written (Psalms, 33), “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His mercy, to deliver their souls from death and to keep them alive in famine,” or simply, the he needs spiritual life.

By this we will interpret the verse, “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,” without exception. And the condition he states, “to all who call upon Him in truth,” is not regarded as a special condition. But among children, if one calls another, and he knows that he is lying, he will not mind him. But here, with the Creator, we should know to what the matter of truth pertains. It is difficult for one to know for himself what is a state of truth and what is a state of falsehood, since one cannot see the truth. Hence, he needs a guide to guide him and tell him what he lacks, and what he has, and even redundancies that interfere with his reaching the truth.

This is the meaning of “Seek the Lord while He is present; call upon Him while He is near.” Certainly, we find him when He is near. But where is the place called “near”? It is as was said above, “to all who call upon Him in truth.” If a person calls upon Him from his real state, one finds Him.

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

The Spies

Article No. 28, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

The holy Zohar interprets the matter of the spies that Moses sent to tour the land (Slach, items 56-58) concerning the spiritual land: “Why is it written that the Creator tells them, ‘Go up there into the Negev,’ delve in the Torah, and by that you will know that world. ‘See what the land is like,’ meaning from that you will see the world to which I bring you. ‘And the people dwelling in it’ are the righteous in the Garden of Eden.

“‘The strong is the faint,’ meaning that in it you will see if they were rewarded with all that because they overcame their inclination by strength and broke it, or by weakness, without effort. Or, if they were strengthened in the Torah, to engage in it day and night, or left it off and were still rewarded with all that. ‘Whether they are few or many’ means if many engage in My work and strengthen themselves in the Torah, and are rewarded with all this or not.

“‘And what is the land like, is it fat or lean.’ You will know what the land is like in the Torah, meaning what is that world, if the upper abundance is plentiful for its dwellers or if anything is missing there.

“‘And they went up into the Negev and came to Hebron.’ Going up in the Negev means that people are ascending in it, in the Torah. ‘In the Negev” means with an idle heart, as one who tries in vain, dryly, thinking that there is no reward in it. He sees that the wealth of this world is lost for it, and thinks that all is lost. ‘In the Negev’ means that the water has dried out. ‘And came to Hebron’ means that he comes to connect with the Torah. Hebron was built in seven years, which are the seventy faces of the Torah.

“‘And they came to the stream of Eshkol’ are words of legend and interpretation, which come from the side of faith. ‘And cut down a branch from there,’ meaning learned chapter headings from there, headlines. Those who are faithful are happy with the words, and the words are blessed within them. They look at their being of one root and one kernel and there is no separation in them. Those who are not faithful and do not learn Torah Lishma [for Her sake] separate faith, which is Malchut, from ZA, since they do not believe that they are of one kernel and one root. This is the meaning of ‘and they carried it on a pole between two,’ meaning that they separated between the written Torah and the oral Torah.

“‘With the pomegranates and with the figs,’ meaning they put these words completely with the Sitra Achra [other side], to the side of idol-worship and the side of separation. Rimonim [Pomegranates] comes from the word, Minim [idol-worshipers], and Te’enim [figs] comes from the words, ‘And the Lord is not by his side,’ meaning when they do not believe in Providence and say that everything is incidental, and separate the Creator from the world.

“‘And they returned from touring the land’ means that they returned to the bad side, returned from the path of truth, saying, ‘What did we get out of it? To this day we have not seen good in the world; we have labored in the Torah and the house is empty. We have dwelt among the lowest in the nation. Who will be rewarded with that world? Who will come into it? We’d be better off not laboring so much.’

“‘They told him, and said,’ we labored and learned in order to know a part of that world, as you advised us. ‘And it is also flowing with milk and honey,’ that upper world is good, as we know from the Torah, but who can merit it? ‘However, the people … are strong,’ the people that has been rewarded with that world is strong, dismissing the entire world as something to engage in and have great wealth. Who can do so and be rewarded with it? Of course the people who dwell in that land are strong. One who wishes to be rewarded with it must be strong in wealth, as the writing says, ‘The rich man answers roughly.’

“‘And the cities are big and fortified,’ meaning houses filled abundantly; nothing is missing in them. And yet, ‘we also saw there the descendants of the giant,’ meaning it requires a body as strong and as mighty as a lion, since the Torah exhausts man’s strength, who can be rewarded with it?

“Also, ‘Amalek is living in the land of the Negev.’ If one should say that even with all this he will be rewarded with overcoming, ‘Amalek is living in the land of the Negev,’ meaning the evil inclination, the slandering accuser of a person is always in the body.

With these words, ‘they discouraged the hearts of the children of Israel,’ since they gave it a bad name. „These faithful ones, what did they say? ‘If the Lord is pleased with us, He will … give it to us.’ That is, when one tries with the desire of the heart toward the Creator, he will be rewarded with it because all He wants from him is the heart.

“‘But do not rebel against the Lord.’ We must not rebel against the Torah because the Torah does not need wealth or vessels of silver and gold. ‘And you, do not fear the people of the land,’ for if a broken body were to engage in Torah, there will be healing for all, and all of man’s slanderers will become his helpers.” Thus far its words.

According to how the holy Zohar interprets the matter of the spies in relation to man’s entrance to the holy work, it is generally called “taking upon oneself the burden of the kingdom of heaven.” By this, one is rewarded with the reception of the Torah, as it was at the foot of Mt. Sinai, when they said, “We will do and we will hear.” It is just as each and every one who wants to be rewarded with the Torah must go through a period called “we will do,” and then he can be rewarded with “we will hear.”

There are many degrees in “we will do,” which generally divide in two ways:

1) The revealed part is regarded as keeping the Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] in practice, learning day and night and being meticulous with all the details of the Mitzvot, until there is nothing more he can add as far as actions are concerned. His intention is that he does everything for the Creator, to keep the King’s commandment, and in return he will receive reward in this world and in the next world. In this respect he is considered righteous.

2) The hidden part refers to the hidden part in the Torah, which is the intention. What a person intends while practicing is hidden from people. But mostly, it is hidden from the person himself because this work must be above reason. Thus, the reason cannot criticize his work—if he is on the way that ascends toward Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, meaning if he is on the path called “in order to bestow,” called “not in order to receive reward.” Therefore, it is hidden because he is working without reward, so the reward is hidden from him.

This means that a person who works for a reward knows that he is working well because he is receiving a reward. But one who works in order to bestow contentment upon his Maker, so the Creator will enjoy, cannot see if the Creator is enjoying his work. Rather, he must believe that the Creator is pleased. It follows that the reward, too, is called “in order to bestow,” and it, too, is above reason.

There are other reasons, called “the hidden part.” This work does not belong to the general public, but to individuals, as Maimonides says (at the end of Hilchot Teshuva), “Sages said, ‘One should always engage in Torah, even if Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], since from Lo Lishma he comes to Lishma [for Her sake]. Therefore, when teaching children, women, and uneducated people, they are to be taught to work out of fear and in order to receive reward. Until they gain knowledge and acquire much wisdom, they are to be taught this secret bit-by-bit, and are to be accustomed to it pleasantly until they attain Him and know Him, and serve Him out of love.”

The matter of spies begins primarily in a person who wants to walk on the path of Dvekut, which is to bestow. At that time the spies come with their just arguments according to their views. Through reasoning, they make one understand that they are right.

It is known that the holy Zohar says, “Every man is a small world,” consisting of seventy nations, as well as of Israel. This means that since there are seven qualities, which are seven Sefirot, and opposite them there are seven qualities in the Sitra Achra. Each one consists of ten, thus they are seventy. Also, each nation has its own passion and wants to ordain its passion over everyone. And the people of Israel in a person also has its own passion, which is to adhere to the Creator.

There is a rule that one cannot fight oneself. Rather, this requires a special power for a person to be able to go against his views. But he does have the power and strength to fight against another if he understands that his view is true, and he will never want to yield before the view of the other.

Accordingly, if the seventy nations are within the person, how can he fight himself? That is, once a certain nation prevails over the seventy nations with its passion, and then a person is governed by that passion. Then, when a person thinks about himself, he sees that this is his passion. He does not say that someone from the seventy nations wants to govern him, but thinks that this is he, himself, and it is very hard to fight against himself.

Therefore, a person should depict to himself that he has seventy nations in his body, as well as the people of Israel. He must determine for himself to which people he belongs. That is, there is a rule: every person loves his homeland and fights for his homeland. Therefore, he must determine if he belongs to the people of Israel or to a nation from the seventy nations. If he determines that he belongs to the people of Israel, then he can fight the seventy nations when he sees that they are coming to fight.

At that time he sees that the seventy nations want to obliterate the people of Israel, as it is written in the Passover Haggadah [story], “She stood for our fathers and for us, for not only one arose against us to obliterate us. Rather, each and every generation, there are those who arise against us to obliterate us, and the Creator saves us from their hands.” If he knows that he belongs to the people of Israel, he has the strength to fight against the seventy nations, since there is strength in nature to fight for one’s homeland, for he knows that he is an “Israelite,” and they want to obliterate him. It follows that it is as though there are two bodies fighting one another, and then he has the strength to fight.

Thus, here, when we speak of the work of the Creator, the “people of Israel” is called that which is Yashar-El [straight to the Creator]. He wants to adhere to the Creator, wants Malchut, meaning to take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven. Malchut is called El [God], as it is written in the holy Zohar (Korah, item 14): “This is why it is written, ‘A God who has indignation every day,’ meaning Malchut, while the seventy nations in him resist it and fight with the Israel in him. With all kinds of tactics, they wish to annul and obliterate the Israel in a man’s body.”

Here, in the work with the intention—when he wants to go specifically in a manner of bestowal—the argument of the spies begins, which the holy Zohar interprets their arguments according to the verses written in the Torah, which dispute and fight the Israel in him, and want to eradicate them from the face of the earth.

That is, he must not think that he will achieve what he thought he would achieve with all kinds of arguments, for they are fighting him, since the basis of the seventy nations is the will to receive, and Israel is precisely annulling before Him without any reward at all. Therefore, precisely when a person wants to go against their views begins the argument of the spies, who make him understand rationally that he has no chance of achieving the goal that he plans to achieve.

However, sometimes the spies make a person understand something that is harsher than anything the spies claim. They say to a person, “Know that the Creator cannot help an ignoble person such as you.” This is the harshest of all because usually, whenever a person is in trouble he can pray. But when they come to a person saying “You are wasting your efforts because the Creator cannot help,” they deny him the prayer, since what can he do then? To whom can he turn for help?

It is written in the holy Zohar (item 82): “Rabbi Yosi says, ‘They took it upon themselves to slander everything. What is ‘everything’? It is the earth and the Creator.’ Rabbi Yitzhak said, ‘With the earth, it’s true. With the Creator, how do we know?’ He told him: ‘It is implied in the words, ‘However, the people … are strong.’ That is, who can defeat them? ‘The people are strong’ is accurate, meaning that even the Creator cannot defeat them, and they slandered the Creator.’”

A person cannot argue with the words of the spies with his reason, or wait until he has what to reply to them, and in the meantime be under their governance. Rather, he must know that he will never be able to answer their doubts with the external mind. But specifically when he is rewarded with the inner mind, he will have the words to explain to them. In the meantime he must go above his mind, meaning say that although the intellect is very important, the importance of faith is still higher than the intellect. Therefore, he must not go according to the intellect, but according to the path of faith, to believe what our sages told us, that a man must take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven as faith above reason. At that time there is no place for the argument of the spies because they speak only within the reason of the external mind.

This is the meaning of Israel saying at the time of the preparation for the reception of the Torah, “We will do,” and then “We will hear.” “Doing” means without the external intellect. Rather, he calculates according to the Commander, for the Commander probably knows what is good for him and what is not, meaning what is good for a person and what is not. But one big question remains, “Why did the Creator give us an external intellect, which we use in every single thing, while here in the work of the Creator we must go against this intellect, and not with the intellect with which we were born?”

This comes because the Creator wanted to be asked for help. The help He gives is the light of Torah, and if they could go without the help of the Creator they would have no need for the light of Torah, as our sages said, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice.” Therefore, in order for him to need to extend the light of Torah, we were given this work in concealment on the intention, so that man will need an inner mind.

From the perspective of the outer intellect, the Creator made it so as not to give any help for the work. On the contrary, it is obstructing him to work in order to bestow. This is the meaning of what is written in the holy Zohar (Noah, item 63): “If a person comes to purify, he is aided with a holy soul. He is purified and sanctified, and he is called ‘holy.’”

By that one comes to need to be rewarded with the NRNHY that pertains to the root of his soul. Hence, there was a correction of concealment, which is the Daat, meaning that a person’s outer mind will be against working in order to bestow. This is called “within reason of the outer mind,” which makes all of man’s calculations that it is not worthwhile for him to work in order to bestow.

When he overcomes and does not escape the campaign, and prays to the Creator to help him go above reason, meaning not to be under the rule of the will to receive, then, when the Creator helps him he receives an inner mind called “inner reason.” At that time, through this reason, the body agrees to work in order to bestow upon the Creator, as it is written, “When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies be at peace with him,” referring to the evil inclination.

It follows that while he is within reason, meaning that the intellect tells him it is worthwhile to do this work, he can exert in the work. Therefore, when he has an outer intellect, the reason compels him, meaning the intention to receive. This is called “within reason.” When he is rewarded with the inner mind, meaning the inner reason, the mind obligates him that it is worthwhile to work in order to bestow contentment upon the Creator.

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Repentance

Article No. 27, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

It is written in The Zohar (Nasso, item 28): “This commandment is the commandment of Teshuva [repentance], and this is Bina. What is Bina? She is the letters Ben Yod-Hey [Son of Yod-Hey]. That son is Vav, which is attached to her and receives from her Mochin of Yod-Hey. Anyone who repents, it is as though he has returned the letter Hey, which is Malchut, to the letter Vav, which is Yod-Hey, by which HaVaYaH is completed.”

In The Zohar (Nasso, item 29), “The letter Hey is certainly a confession of words. This is the meaning of “Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him, ‘…that we may present the fruit of our lips.’” Certainly, when one sins, he causes the Hey to depart from the Vav. This is why the Temple was ruined and Israel were removed from there and were exiled among the nations. For this reason, anyone who repents causes the return of the Hey to the letter Vav.

In The Zohar (Nasso, item 31), “This answer is called ‘life.’ This answer, which is Malchut, and Hey de HaVaYaH, is called ‘life,’ as it is written, ‘for from it flow the offspring of life,’ which are the souls of Israel, who are the offspring of Malchut, called ‘life.’ She is the Hevel [mouth fume] that comes in and out of one’s mouth effortlessly. This is also the meaning of the Hey of Hibara’am [they were created], since the letter Hey is pronounced by the mouth more easily than all the other letters. It was said about her, ‘for man lives by that which proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord,’ for Malchut is called ‘that which proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.’ Also, she is on a man’s head, as in, ‘On my head is the Lord present.’ It was said about her, ‘And the image of the Lord does he behold,’ since Malchutis called ‘the image of the Lord,’ and also, ‘Only in the image does a man walk.’”

In The Zohar (Nasso, item 32), “And because she is on a man’s head, he must not walk four Amot[approx. four feet] bear-headed, for if she is removed from the man’s head, life promptly leaves him.”

Also in The Zohar (Nasso, item 34), “It was certainly about this shape of the Hey that they asserted, ‘I have a good gift in my treasury, whose name is ‘Shabbat’ [Sabbath].’ Shabbat is Malchut, when she ascends to Bina. When this Malchut, who is Shabbat, is over Israel, they have neither labor nor enslavement, and in it, the laboring and toiling soul stops and rests.”

We need to understand all those names which the holy Zohar gives to Malchut.

1)  What does it mean that Malchut is called Hey, and that she is Hevel without labor and toil? After all, there is a rule, “I found but did not labor, do not believe.”

2)  What does it mean that Malchut is called “life”? In several places, the holy Zohar calls Malchut “the quality of judgment,” from whom extends death.

3) What does it imply that Malchut is called “the Lord’s mouth”?

4)  What does it mean that she is on a man’s head?

5)  Why does he say that Malchut is called the “image of the Lord,” as it is written, “The image of the Lord does he behold”?

6)  What does it mean that Malchut is called “Tzelem [image], as it is written, “Only in the image does a man walk”?

To explain the above said, we first need to understand the purpose of creation, meaning the connection that the creatures should have with the Creator. All of our labor surrounds this axle, as well as the punishments we suffer if we do not go to correct it. This is also all the reward we receive when the creatures connect with the Creator.

It is known that the purpose of creation is to do good to His creations. However, in order to prevent the bread of shame, which is the matter of equivalence of form—as disparity of form in spirituality is called “moving farther,” and equivalence of form is called “moving closer”—therefore, although His desire to do good to His creations is unbounded, still, the matter of equivalence of form was made, meaning not to receive delight and pleasure unless it is in order to bestow contentment upon the Creator.

From this extends to us the matter of labor, meaning that we must make a Masach [screen] so we can receive the delight and pleasure in order to bestow. This is the root of the labor that we have, as it is written in “General Preface to the Book, Panim Meirot Umasbirot” (item 3): “Know that the Masach in the Kli [vessel] of Malchut is the root of the darkness because of the detaining force that exists in the Masach, to stop the upper light from spreading to Behina Dalet. This is also the root of the labor in order to receive reward, since labor is an involuntary act, for the worker feels comfortable only when resting. But because the landlord is paying his salary, he annuls his will before the will of the landlord.”

Thus, all we need to do is work. This is the only thing incumbent upon us, as it is written, “Which God has created to do.” “Created” is what we attribute to the Creator, which is the desire to do good to His creations. From “created,” extends to us the matter of separation and disparity of form. However, by “to do,” meaning through the work we do in order to achieve the degree of in order to bestow, we move closer to the Creator once again through equivalence of form.

This is the meaning of the partnership between the creatures and the Creator, as it is written in The Zohar (“Introduction of the Book of Zohar,” item 67): “‘And to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’’ Do not pronounce ‘You are My people [Ami],’ but ‘You are with Me [Imi],’ which means partnering with Me.” That is, the Creator gave the will to receive, which is the deficiency He has created, which is called “darkness,” as it is written, “And creates darkness.” This comes from His desire to do good. The creatures must give the Masach, by which we have equivalence of form, for only then we have Kelim[vessels] that are suitable to receive the abundance that comes from His doing good to His creations. It follows that “has created” comes from above, and “to do” comes from the lower ones.

We find two matters in the labor: 1) The work and the reward are two matters. The work is not in the place of the reward, meaning that the time of work and the time of reward are separate. 2) The work and the reward are in the same place and the same time.

Labor means that one has to make a movement, and movement also happens in three ways: 1) labor of the body, 2) labor of the mind, 3) inner labor, which is the hardest. This is done when he must work with the mind, while doing things that contradict the mind and the intellect. That is, he must annul his mind. This means that the mind mandates that he will do this or that, but he makes a movement and cancels his mind—what he understands to be one hundred percent true according to his mind. And yet, he annuls it. This is true labor.

Let us return to the matter of labor. For example, a person makes a movement in order to receive a reward for the movement. Otherwise, he would remain at rest, since by the nature of creation, man longs for rest. The reason for this is explained in The Study of the Ten Sefirot (Part 1, Histaklut Pnimit [Inner Reflection], item 19): “This is because our root is motionless and restful; there is no motion in Him at all.”

Therefore, we see that to the extent of the size, importance, and necessity that he has for the reward, to that extent he can exert. However, if he were to find a tactic to receive the reward without exertion, he would promptly waive the effort because to him the effort is but a means to obtain the reward. Thus, if he can get the reward through some other means, meaning not through work, then he will think, “Why should I work for nothing?” for he does not receive any reward for his work, since he can get what he will be given for the work without the work. It follows that he is not paid, and as we said, it is impossible to work without pay. Therefore, he waives the work.

This is regarded as the work and the reward being in two places and two times, since the work is, for example, that he is in a factory, and the pay is the paycheck he receives at the office. “In two times” means a separate time for work and a separate time for reception of the reward, since the work is every hour and every moment, and the reward is received only at the end of the day, when he finishes the work, as it is written (Deuteronomy, 24:14), “You shall not oppress the hired … You shall give him his wages each day before the sun sets.”

But sometimes the work and the pay are in the same place and the same time. This is so where the work itself is the reward, and he does not expect to be given any other reward for his work. That is, every move the body makes. As was said above, the body cannot make a move at all without reward.

But here, when his work is the reward, he receives the reward right where he works. And also, he receives the reward while he is working. That is, he does not need to wait for another time to be given the reward, such as for the end of the day, but rather each and every movement is rewarded right there and then.

For example: If a great ADMOR [high ranking rabbi] comes to Israel. If, for instance, the ADMOR of Lubavitch comes, and all his followers go to greet him. And he has a small package in his hand, which he gives to one of the followers to take it to the taxi. Afterwards the ADMOR takes out a $100 note and gives it to him in return for carrying the package to the taxi. His follower will no doubt refuse to receive the money. And should the ADMOR ask him, “Why won’t you take the money? Is this too little? To an ordinary porter, who is not a follower and does not know what is an ADMOR, and does not know that I am in important person, if I were to give him a $10 note, he would have thanked me. To you I give ten times more than to an ordinary porter, and you won’t take it?”

What should we say about this? His follower did not want to receive from him the money for carrying precisely because he knows the greatness and importance of the ADMOR, and the ADMOR has chosen him to serve him. This is a great reward, which is worth a lot. If any of the followers could buy from him the service that the ADMOR had let him do, the follower would certainly tell him: “All the money in the world is worthless compared to this service, which the ADMOR has given me, and has chosen me over everyone else.”

Here we see that the labor and the reward are in the same place and the same time, since during the work, meaning while he is carrying the load—and he should be rewarded, since it is impossible to work without reward—he does not receive reward elsewhere, meaning that the work is the package he is carrying, and his reward is elsewhere, namely the money, or on another time, meaning that he is rewarded when he has finished the job.

Rather, here the work and the pay are in the same place. The work is carrying the package, and the reward is also carrying the ADMOR’s package. He does not need to be given anything else that can be regarded as reward. Rather, the work of carrying the ADMOR’s package is itself his reward.

This is also regarded as “in the same time,” meaning that while he is working, at the same time he is rewarded, and it cannot be said here that he receives the reward after he has finished his work. Rather, he is receiving his pay at that very moment. The time of work and the time of pay are inseparable here because his entire reward is the service he is giving to the ADMOR. He enjoys this service more than any fortune in the world.

It follows that there is something new here—that it cannot happen that there can be such a thing as receiving reward each and every moment of one’s work. Rather, the reward always comes after the work, as it is written, “to do them today and to receive the reward for them tomorrow.” But here it is different, meaning that the work and the reward come as one.

It therefore follows that the work is not regarded as labor for which to receive reward. Only when the work and the reward are in two places and two times is work regarded as labor. That is, when the work is only a means to receive reward. Therefore, if he could toss the means and receive the purpose right away, why would he need the means? For this reason, since the whole purpose is the reward, his attention is only on the reward, and he is always searching how to work less and gain more.

But if the work and the reward are simultaneous, this work is not regarded as labor, of which we can say that he wants to get rid of the work, since the work and the pay are in the same place and the same time, since he enjoys serving an important person.

Accordingly, the labor in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments] is only when he is carrying the burden of Torah and Mitzvot like the porter carrying the ADMOR’s package without knowing the ADMOR’s importance. At that time he is always bargaining and wants more reward than the ADMOR is paying him for his labor, as we said in the allegory about the ADMOR of Lubavitch. That is, the follower who takes the package that the ADMOR has given him, since the follower recognizes the importance and greatness of the ADMOR, he wants no reward from the ADMOR. Rather, the size of the reward is measured by his recognition of the greatness and importance of the ADMOR; this is how is receives additional reward.

Although by nature we derive great pleasure when serving an important person, there is a difference in the importance, too. If a person is serving the most important person in town, while it pleases him, this is nothing like knowing that he is serving the most important person in the country. And his pleasure would be even greater if he knew that he was serving the most important person in the world. Then his joy would grow unboundedly.

It follows that we labor in Torah and Mitzvot because we lack the importance and greatness of the Creator. In the words of the holy Zohar, it is called that all our thoughts should be only to “raise the Shechina [Divinity] from the dust. That is, to us spirituality is completely in concealment of the face, and we do not feel the importance of our work. That is, we do not feel the importance of the one for whom we work, and whom we are serving. Therefore, when we overcome in the work, that work is by coercion. This is called “labor,” since the reward is not in the place of the work.

In other words, by working in coercion, he expects to receive reward after some time and in a different place. Since the reward is far from the time of the work, he has time to think that now he is working and later he will receive reward. Therefore, there is a time when there is work there, and this is called “labor.”

This is not so when he feels the importance of the work, meaning when he feels whom he is serving. At that time the reward is in the place of the work. Such work is not regarded as labor because the work and the reward are in the same time and in the same place, and this is not labor.

We can discern this when here, if the work and the reward are in the same place, the work itself is the reward. Therefore, he will not want to relinquish the work because naturally, you don’t waive the goal, you only waive the means. Therefore, when the reward and the work are in the same place and the same time, a person cannot relinquish the work. If he relinquishes the work, he relinquishes the reared, since they are in the same place.

But if a person works like a porter, as in the above allegory, since there, there is labor because the work and the reward are in two different places, then the person wants to relinquish the labor, which is only a means for the reward, and he wants the reward. For example, a person who works to obtain the next world is willing to relinquish the work, meaning if he is given the next world without labor, since he needs only the goal and not the means.

We can discern the same regarding a gift. If an important person gives someone a gift, the recipient distinguishes two things about the gift: 1) that he loves him, or he would not have given him the gift, 2) the gift itself.

Here, too, we should make the same discernments, meaning what is the goal and what is the means. We should also determine the importance of the giver—if the giver is an important person then the love is the goal and the gift is only a means, whereby the gift the love appears here. It follows that here, too, he is willing to relinquish the gift, but not the love. But if the giver is an ordinary person then the gift is the goal and love is the means, and he can relinquish the love as long as he gives him gifts. It follows that whether he gives or receives, there is always the same calculation of the importance of the person.

Thus far we talked about the reward and the work. However, there is another matter, namely punishment. That is, if he does not keep the Torah and Mitzvot, he is punished for it. But here, too, we should discern if the punishment is where he broke the laws or the in another place and another time.

Let us take, for example, reward and punishment in regard to the rules of the state. One who breaks the laws of the state is punished. His punishment is not in the same place and the same time. A person who stole another man’s possessions and was caught receives a punishment, say incarceration or a fine. However, this is all not in the same place or in the same time. But if it is not known that he is the thief, he will never be punished.

The same thing applies to transgressors of the rules of Torah. And yet, there is a big difference between breaching the law of Torah and breaching the laws of the state. In the revealed part, meaning the work in Torah and Mitzvot, every person can see what the other is doing. Here the transgression and the punishment are also not in the same place and the same time. If a person has committed a transgression and there are witnesses who saw it, he is punished for his transgression. For example, if he ate pork and people saw it, afterwards the court sentences that for this transgression he deserves to be flogged. It follows that the transgression and the punishment are in two places and two times, such as when breaking the laws of the state.

However, in man’s work, approaching the internality of the Torah, which is called the “hidden part,” there the matter is concealed and no one can see man’s inner work, since no one knows what is in one’s heart. If, for example, a man comes and says, “I want to make a big donation for a seminary where people learn Torah. However, I want there to be a big stone nameplate in the seminary where it will be inscribed that I gave the big donation, and to advertise in the papers that I gave such a big donation, so that wherever I go I will be respected.”

We can say that he is a great philanthropist, but we cannot say that his intention is specifically to support learners of Torah, but that pursuit of honor, called “self-love,” is also mixed in the support of the learners of Torah. However, his real intention is hidden from us because perhaps all he wants is really only to support the learners of Torah. And in order to prevent the recipients of his money from respecting him he pretends to want respect, that he wants to pay to charity because he wants to exchange the desire for money with a desire for honor. Naturally, he will not be respected.

Between man and man we can discern between the revealed part and the concealed part. But between man and God there is certainly a big difference. Our sages said, “One should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot, even if Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], since from Lo Lishma he comes to Lishma[for Her sake]” (Pesachim, 50b). Thus, in the act of Mitzvot and in the study of Torah there is a big difference between the revealed part, meaning the act, and the concealed part, meaning the intention, since no person can look at the intention, for the act that one does between man and God does not have a person in the middle who can criticize his intention. Normally, each one is busy with himself and does not have time to think of his friend’s calculations. It follows that only he thinks of the intention.

That is, when he engages in Lo Lishma, meaning expects reward, the work and the reward are not in the same place and in the same time. But here, when we are speaking of punishments, the transgression and the punishment are not in the same place and in the same time, since he receives the punishment after he commits the transgression, and afterwards he suffers the punishment—a punishment in this world or a punishment in the next world. This applies only to the part of Lo Lishma.

However, in those who work on the intention—to be able to aim their actions only to bestow—the reward and the punishment are in the same place and the same time, since his inability to aim the act of bestowing contentment upon the Creator is his punishment, and he does not need to be given any other punishments, for nothing torments him more than seeing that he is still far from the Creator.

The evidence is that he does not have the love of the Creator, that he wants to respect Him. All this is because he is in a state of Achoraim [posterior] and concealment from the Creator. This is what pains him, and this is his punishment. But here is his reward—if he has love for the Creator and wants to bestow contentment upon him. However, all this concerns specifically those who want come to work only for the Creator, and not in Lo Lishma. It can be said about them that the punishment and the reward are in the same place and in the same time.

But normally, punishment is when they are in two different places. This is so because generally, observing Torah and Mitzvot is in the revealed part, meaning only in the act. It is called “revealed because in terms of the act, it is revealed to everyone what one does and what one says. In the revealed part, we explained above that there the reward and punishment are in two different places.

With all the above we shall come to clarify the words of the holy Zohar, where we asked six questions. It is known that Malchut is called “the last Hey in the name HaVaYaH,” called Behina Dalet de Ohr Yashar [fourth discernment in the Direct Light]. Her quality is to receive in order to receive. All the corrections we need to do through Torah and Mitzvot are to correct her, so the reception in her will be in order to bestow, which is called Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator. But if her intention is not to bestow she becomes removed from the Creator.

Also, it is known that everything we learn about the upper worlds pertains to the souls, as our sages said (Vayikra, 36:4), “Rabbi Birkiya said, ‘The heaven and earth were created only by Israel’s merit, as it is written, ‘In the beginning God created,’ and there is no beginning but Israel, as it was said (Jeremiah, 2), ‘Israel was holy to the Lord, the first of His harvest.’’”

Therefore, everything we learn in upper worlds is only so the souls will receive the upper abundance, as it is known that the purpose of creation is to do good to His creations. In order to correct the disparity of form that governs Malchut herself, who is called “receiving in order to receive,” since disparity of form causes separation in spirituality, and this Kli, called Malchut, is the Kli of all the souls from which man was created. He must correct it so that all the vessels of reception will work in order to bestow.

See what is written in the introduction to The Book of Zohar (items 10-11): “And in order to mend that separation, which lies on the Kli of the souls, He has created all the worlds and separated them into two systems, as in the verse: ‘God has made them one opposite the other.’ These are the four pure worlds ABYA, and opposite them the four impure worlds ABYA. And He … removed the will to receive for themselves from them, and placed it in the system of the impure worlds ABYA. …And the worlds cascaded onto the reality of this corporeal world, to a place where there is a body and a soul, and a time of corruption and a time of correction. For the body, which is the will to receive for itself, extends from its root in the Thought of Creation, and passes through the system of the impure worlds, as it is written, “a man is born a wild ass’s colt.’ He remains under the authority of that system for the first thirteen years, which is the time of corruption. By engaging in Mitzvot from thirteen years of age onward, when he engages in order to bestow contentment upon his Maker, he begins to purify the will to receive for himself imprinted in him, and slowly turns it to be in order to bestow. By this he extends a holy soul from its root in the Thought of Creation. It passes through the system of the pure worlds and dresses in the body. …And so he accumulates degrees of holiness from the Thought of Creation in Ein Sof [Infinity], until they aid him in turning the will to receive for himself in him to be entirely in the form of reception in order to bestow contentment upon his Maker.”

According to what he presents there in the introduction to The Book of Zohar, we see that everything we say about the upper worlds concerns only the souls. Therefore, when we say that Malchut moved father from the name HaVaYaH, it pertains to the souls, which need to correct her so she will connect with the name HaVaYaH, because with respect to the souls, she drew farther.

However, when a person takes upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven above reason, and he is in bestowal, it causes man’s root, which is Malchut, to also be in bestowal, which is equivalence of form. At that time it is considered that Malchut, which was remote from the giver, in disparity of form, now that man engages in bestowal, called “equivalence of form,” it is regarded as Malchutmoving herself closer to the name HaVaYaH, meaning to the giver. This is the meaning of “Retuning the Hey to the Vav,” where Yod-Hey-Vav are called “the upper nine,” who are the giver, and the letter Vav is regarded as giving to Malchut, since now Malchut is regarded as giving, like the Vav. This is why the holy Zohar calls Malchut by the name Hey. This is the answer to the first question we asked.

On the one hand, at her root, Malchut is the root of the created beings. She is named Malchut due to her root of receiving in order to receive. From this aspect extends death, since reception causes separation from the life of lives. For this reason, death extends from here. This is also why Malchut is called the “tree of death” (Zohar, Behaalotcha, item 96), as it is written, “Rabbi Yehuda said, ‘Rabbi Hiya said, ‘The text testifies that anyone who gives charity to the poor awakens the tree of life, which is ZA, to add life to the tree of death, which is Malchut. Then there is life and joy above, in Malchut.’’”

We therefore see that on the one hand, Malchut is called the “tree of death,” from the perspective of her root, but when the souls engage in bestowal, she is in equivalence of form, and then the Tzimtzum [restriction] and concealment that were on her are removed. Specifically from here, meaning from Malchut, life extends to the world, and in that respect Malchut is called “life.”

By this we explained the second question, why Malchut is called “life,” since Malchut is called the “tree of death.” The answer is that after she is corrected, as in “Work below awakens work above,” it means that the works of the lower ones awaken the upper roots, by which they cause the unification of the Creator and His Shechina, and from that unification life comes to the world.

The third question is what does it mean that Malchut is the mouth of the Creator. We see that in corporeality, the mouth reveals what is on one’s mind. HaVaYaH is called “the quality of mercy.” This means that the Creator imparts delight and pleasure upon the creatures. When Malchut is called “life,” which is when the lower ones engage in bestowal, the upper life comes from Malchut. The purpose of creation is called “light of Hochma,” which is Ohr Haya. When Malchut reveals it, she is called “the mouth of the Lord,” revealing the thought of creation, which is to do good to His creations.

By this we come to interpret what we asked in the fourth question: what does it mean that because she is on a man’s head, a man must not walk four Amot [approx. four feet] bear-headed. It is known that Malchut is called “faith,” and faith is always above reason. Man’s mind is referred to as man’s “head.” Accordingly, the kingdom [Malchut] of heaven that one must take upon oneself should be above reason and above mind. This is why it is considered that Malchut is on a man’s head.

This is why it is forbidden to walk four Amot bear-headed, since if she departs from a man’s head, life promptly departs from him. Bear-headed means that Malchut, which is regarded as faith, is not on his mind and reason. It is as we said, that faith is regarded as above his head, meaning above reason. And because he has no faith, the light of life, which comes from Malchut, certainly departs from him, since Malchut is called “life” only by correcting the vessels of bestowal. But in vessels of reception, Malchut is called the “tree of death.” This is why life departs from him.

The fifth question, why Malchut is called “the image of the Lord,” is because “image” means as we say, “I want to have a general picture of the matter.” Therefore, when wanting to know the general picture of spirituality, we are told, “And the image of the Lord does he behold.” That is, seeing the general picture of spirituality depends on the extent to which he has been rewarded with faith in the Creator. Faith is expressed in mind and heart, and according to the faith with which one has been awarded, so he receives the image of it. Therefore, since Malchut is called “faith,” Malchut is called “the image of the Lord,” meaning that according to his faith, so is the image of spirituality that he receives.

Also, in the above manner we can answer the sixth question: why is Malchut called Tzelem [image], as it is written, “Only in the image does a man walk”? Tzelem also means faith, since “sun” is called reason [knowledge] and Tzel [shadow] is something that hides the sun. This is the faith, which is called “clothing.” If a person has that clothing, the upper light dresses in him, as it is written in The Zohar (Vayechi, item 201), “If the Tzelem [image] departs, the Mochin depart, and the Mochin dresses according to the Tzelem.”

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Show Me Your Glory

Article No. 26, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

“And he said, ‘Show my Your glory … Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen’” (Exodus, 33). We should understand what the question about Moses implies to us, and the Creator’s answer with regard to our work.

When a person begins with the work of the Creator, he longs to see the glory of the Creator. That is, when the Creator shines for him, when he has a taste for Torah and Mitzvot [commandments], and longs for spirituality, he can engage in the holy work. At that time he knows that he is walking on the path of the Creator and feels that he is above the ordinary people, that the whole public is worldly, and only he knows and understands what is spirituality.

It is known that our sages said (Avot, Chapter 4, item 4), “Rabbi Levitas, Man of Yavne says, ‘Be very very humble.’” Therefore, he has a lot of work finding some deficiency in himself so he can say that he is humble. But since it is a Mitzva [commandment/good deed] to do what our sages said, he takes it above reason and says, “Of course I am still incomplete.”

Also, there is a time of Achoraim [posterior], when the craving for Torah and Mitzvot does not shine for him and he does not feel a lack in that he does not crave Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator. In a state of Achoraim, a person can see himself, meaning his real situation, if he still sees that he is higher than the rest of the people. At that time he needs to work on lowliness, to take upon himself the Mitzva of humbleness above reason, while he is looking at other people, who are in a state of spiritual decline, while he is in an ascent. It turns out that only in a state of Achoraim he can see the truth, but during the Panim [anterior] he might deceive himself.

However, there are many discernments in the degree of Achoraim, too. If a person has already entered the work of truth, meaning on the way that one has to work in order to bestow, only then does one begin to feel real states of Achoraim. At that time one sometimes gets an image of Achoraim, when he sees his fall although he had a state of Panim before the fall to the state he is in. But now that he sees that he has no desire for Torah and Mitzvot, or for prayer and so forth, he feels that now he is as an empty Kli, that he derives no “moisture” from the work of the Creator. In addition, he sees himself as though he has never worked the holy work and does not even know what is the work of the Creator.

Sometimes he comes into darkness where if he begins to say to himself that he must begin the work and it is pointless to remain without any purpose in life, it seems to him that he is saying to himself something new, that he has never heard about spiritual matters. At that time he is surprised at himself, that he can feel such a feeling—that he is in a state of a beginner who has never engaged in work—while there is still some recollection in his memory from when he thought that he was always among the advanced ones in the work, and suddenly he has forgotten everything and he remembers it as if he is dreaming.

It follows that he is seeing his real state only at a time of Achoraim. This is the meaning of “you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.” At that time he has room for work, meaning to ask of the Creator to bring him to Him and show him the illumination of His face. At that time he comes to repentance: “Until He who knows the mysteries will testify that he will not turn back to folly.”

It is written in the introduction to The Study of the Ten Sefirot (items 53-54): “We must know that the whole matter of work in keeping Torah and Mitzvot by way of choice applies primarily to the two aforementioned discernments of concealed Providence. And Ben Ha Ha says about that time: ‘The reward is according to the pain.’ Since His Guidance is not revealed, it is impossible to see Him but only in concealment of the face, meaning from behind. However, when the Creator sees that one has completed one’s measure of exertion and finished everything he had to do in strengthening his choice in faith in the Creator, the Creator helps him. Then, one attains open Providence, meaning the revelation of the face.”

According to the above, the beginning of the work on the path of truth is in Achoraim. This is so in order for a person to prepare for himself Kelim [vessels] where the light of the Creator can be. Also, Kelim are desires. This means that before a person passes the state of Achoraim, he does not know that he needs the Creator to help him, but thinks that he can achieve his wholeness by himself and he does not need any special help from the Creator.

Rather, he knows and believes, as is customary in Israel, that although a person sees that it makes sense that man is the operator, he still believes that the Creator helps him obtain his wish. But in the work of bestowal, a person sees that the mind is telling him that he cannot achieve the degree of bestowal, but he rather sits and waits for the Creator to help him. It follows that only this is regarded as needing the Creator. This is called a Kli and “desire.”

The path of truth is called Lishma [for Her sake], meaning that he does everything in order to bestow contentment upon the Creator. At that time the resistance of the body comes to him when it argues that it understands that all his work is to satisfy the vessels of the body, which is self-love. At that time one begins to see that he cannot go against the body, and then he needs the Creator’s help. This is considered that he already has a Kli, meaning a desire and need for the Creator to fulfill him, and then what our sages said, “He who comes to purify is aided” (Zohar, Noah, item 63) happens in him. These are its words: “If a person comes to purify, he is aided with a holy soul. He is purified and sanctified, and he is called ‘holy.’” We therefore see that before he has a Kli, he cannot be given light. But once it has been established in his heart that he needs the Creator’s help, he receives help, as was said, that precisely when he comes to purify but sees that he is unable, he receives from above a holy soul, which is light that pertains to him, to help him be able to go forward and defeat his vessels of reception so he can use them in order to bestow upon the Creator.

Now we can interpret what is written, “Peace, peace, to the far and to the near.” “Peace” indicates a complete division, since division is as our sages said, “One should always anger the evil inclination on the good inclination.” RASHI interpreted that he should wage war on it. A person thinks that only when he feels close to the Creator he is whole, when it seems to him that he has already been awarded Panim [anterior]. But when he feels removed from the Creator, he thinks that he is not walking on the path of wholeness.

This is when we say, “Peace, peace,” meaning the peace that the Creator says, as it is written (Psalms 85), “I will hear what the Lord says, for He will speak peace unto His nation, and unto His pious ones, and let them not turn back to folly.” Regarding this verse, we must believe that the Creator says “peace” even when he (a person) feels that he is far from the Creator. This is so because who has made him see that now he is farther than at another time? Normally, a person begins to feel that he is far when he increases Torah and Mitzvot and wishes to walk more on the path of truth. At that time he sees that he is farther.

It follows that according to the rule, a Mitzva induces a Mitzva,” he should have felt closer. However, the Creator brings him closer by showing him the truth, so he will pay attention to the Creator’s help. That is, He shows him that a person cannot win the war without the help of the Creator. It follows that at the time of remoteness (when one feels removed), which is regarded as Achoraim, this is the time of nearing the Creator.

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

In Every Thing We Must Discern between Light and Kli

Article No. 25, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

In every thing we must discern between light and Kli [vessel], meaning between the Giver, who is the Creator, and the receiver, who is the creature.

And since there is no light without a Kli, meaning if there is no one to attain it, then who can speak of it? Therefore, we can only speak of light that is clothed in a Kli, meaning the abundance that the Giver gives to the body, namely the measure of impression of the body from the abundance that pours down to it. We must believe that everything a person receives into his body comes from Him, both corporeality and spirituality, since it is known that there is no other force in the world that will bestow upon him.

Therefore, when a person begins to come into the work of the Creator, we must thank and praise the Creator, for this is the beginning of man’s entrance into the work. The order of the work begins as our sages said, “One should always establish the praise of the Creator and subsequently pray. From where do we know this? From Moses, as it is written, ‘And I pleaded with the Lord at that time,’ and as it is written, ‘God, You have begun,’ and ‘afterwards is written, ‘Let me go over, I pray Thee, and see the good land’’” (Berachot 32a).

Therefore, when he begins to thank the Creator, he first needs to thank the Creator for creating the world, as we say during the prayer, “Blessed are You who said, ‘Let there be the world.’” And then begins the work, meaning the extent to which he can thank the Creator for creating the world. In other words, the extent of the gratitude is as the extent of the pleasure.

Here begins the scrutiny of true and false, and here lies the difference between the work of the individual and the work of the public, meaning between one whose Torah is his craft or not. The meaning is as Baal HaSulam explained: His Torah is his craft means that through the Torah he wants to be rewarded with faith. Or, according to people who belong to the general public, it means that they study Torah in order to be rewarded with the next world, meaning in order to receive, and not to people who belong the individual, namely engage in order to bestow.

When a person begins to praise the Creator, there is a scrutiny of true and false. That is, usually, when one needs to thank another person for helping him, the measure of gratitude is according to the measure of feeling that he has helped him. Therefore, when a person begins to thank the Creator for what He has given him, the body begins to think of the benefits He has done to him, and to the extent that he is impressed with the benefit that He has done to him, so is the measure of the gratitude.

Therefore, when a person says, “Blessed is He who said, ‘Let there be the world,’” it also depends on the extent to which he is enjoying the world. At that time the body begins to show him that he lacks corporeality and lacks spirituality, and does not let him establish the praises of the Creator. At that time there is a lot of work because then he needs to go above reason and believe that the Creator is doing only good to him, and there is also a scrutiny of true and false.

Since the general name of the Creator is Good Who Does Good, there is a lot of work to believe above reason that the Creator is good and does good. It therefore follows that when a person begins to establish the praise of the Creator, he has what to pray for so he can go above reason. Beforehand, there was not such a great lack of faith in the Creator above reason, but now he feels his lack of faith, and needs to learn Torah so that the light in it will reform him.

It turns out that his desire to establish the praise of the Creator causes him a deficiency. When he has a deficiency, called a Kli, to the extent of his impression from being far from wholeness he has room for work and a need for prayer and Torah.

However, there is another deficiency: Sometimes a person sees his lowliness, gives up, and escapes the campaign. At that time, all the pleasures he receives are only if he forgets about his situation, meaning that he is not thinking about spirituality or he can sleep, meaning feel great pleasure in sleep. This is so not because at that time he derives from sleep some special pleasure, but that when he sleeps he does not remember about the work. This is his pleasure, since whenever he remembers about the work, the body immediately brings him despair and lowliness.

Therefore, a person must always be careful not to fall into despair, namely that a state of suffering has come to him because he sees that he cannot continue the work. This is why Baal HaSulam said that one should be careful to criticize himself, except when he allocates for this a special time, and not whenever the body tells him to introspect. Rather, he should tell the body: “I have a special time for criticizing if I am going according to the line that I was given or have veered off from the correct line. Now I am engaging in Torah and prayer, and I am certain that the Creator will help me as He has helped all the servants of the Creator who wished to go by the right path and achieve the goal for which they were created.”

In my previous article, and in article no. 11 [Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey], I have written that we must say the opposite of what the body tells us. And by this will understand the question of The Zohar and its answer (Behukotai, item 18): “‘And do them.’ He asks, ‘What is, ‘And do them’?’ Since he already said ‘walk’ and ‘keep,’ why the ‘do,’ as well? He answers that one who performs the Mitzvot of the Torah and follows His ways, it is as though he has made Him above. The Creator said, ‘It is as if he has made Me,’ and established Him. Hence, ‘And do them’ as a law and ordinance,” thus far its words.

This answer seems very perplexing. How can it be said that by keeping Torah and Mitzvot we make Him above? After all, “The whole earth is full of His glory,” even before the creatures observed Torah and Mitzvot. Thus, what does it mean “As though you have made Me”?

As said above, we do not speak of a light without a Kli, for in regard to whom is it discerned that there is light? When there is a Kli, the Kli obtains the light. Therefore, when we say that the purpose of creation is to do good to His creations it pertains only to the creatures when they receive the delight and pleasure. This is regarded as having a Kli, and the Kli attains Him in a way that they receive from the Creator only delight and pleasure. But when the creatures do not receive from Him delight and pleasure, the question arises, “With regard to whom the name of the Creator, The Good Who Does Good, appears?”

For this reason, in order for the name of the Creator, the general name of all the names—The Good Who Does Good—to be revealed, and in order for the creatures to receive the delight and pleasure from the Creator, for His benefit to be complete, meaning that there will be no shame in the gift, hence there was the Tzimtzum and concealment, where we cannot attain and feel the good before we qualify ourselves with vessels of bestowal, which is equivalence of form. It turns out that then the name, Good Who Does Good is not revealed, which causes the creatures not to feel the Creator, and this is why there are wicked in the world who do not believe in the Creator.

In order for His name to be revealed in the world before everyone, all the Kelim need is equivalence of form. And in order to have the ability to acquire vessels of bestowal, which are Kelim [vessels] of equivalence of form, we can obtain this only by keeping Torah and Mitzvot. That is, while observing Torah and Mitzvot we must aim that it will be in order to raise the glory of Israel through observing the Torah and Mitzvot.

Israel means the letters Yashar-El [straight to the Creator], where the actions are directly toward the Creator and not for one’s own benefit. This is called “equivalence of form.” In the words of the holy Zohar, this is called “raising the Shechina [Divinity] from the dust,” since spirituality is not honored in our eyes so we can tell our bodies that it is a great privilege to be able to serve the Creator, and then the body surrenders and annuls before the Kedusha [holiness]. This is the meaning of what the holy Zohar says, that through “walk in My statutes and keep My commandments,” by that “And do them,” meaning as though you make Me above. In other words, by this you make the name of the Creator be revealed as good who does good, meaning that everyone will feel the good because you will be rewarded with equivalence of form.

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Three Times in the Work

Article No. 24, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

A person should discern three times in his work:

1. past,
2. present,
3. future.

“Past” is when he begins with the work of the Creator. At that time he must look at the past, meaning the reason why he now wants to take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven. That is, he must scrutinize the reason—if this reason is sufficient for him to begin with the work of the Creator to the point of “And you shall reflect on Him day and night,” when he has nothing to think of but the Torah because he has come to a resolution that nothing is worth contemplating but the Torah.

This must be because he feels he is in big trouble, and he has nothing in the world worth living for, and he finds nothing but Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator. But to be rewarded with Dvekut with the Creator, one must exit self-love. And to exit self-love he believes in the words of our sages: “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice.”

This is the reason that compels him to contemplate the Torah day and night, for otherwise he cannot exit self-love. It follows that the reason for the Torah is Dvekut with the Creator. And the reason that obligates him to be rewarded with Dvekut with the Creator must always be renewed, since there are many opposers to this reason. Each time the body comes with new questions and wants to question that reason. At one time it tells him this is difficult; another time it tells him this is not for him, and brings him sparks of despair; and sometimes it brings foreign thoughts into his mind and heart.

Therefore, we must look at the past, meaning we must always examine at the reason that gave him the initial awakening for it. That is, perhaps there were other reasons that have made him begin the work of the Creator, meaning that his initial reason was not in order to achieve Dvekut with the Creator, but perhaps it was another reason. Afterwards, because “from Lo Lishma [not for Her sake] we come to Lishma [for Her sake],” the second reason was in order to achieve Dvekut with the Creator.

It could also be to the contrary, that the first reason was to achieve Dvekut with the Creator, and then, for various reasons, he acquired other reasons that obligated him to take upon himself the burden of Torah and Mitzvot [commandments]. It follows from all the above that we must always examine the reason that compels us to walk in the work of the Creator. This is regarded as having to learn from the past, referring to the reasons that surround all the ways of his work. That is, the reason is regarded as the goal: according to the greatness and importance of the goal, to that extent a person can exert.

However, there is a difference in what is regarded as “importance.” With regard to importance, it depends what a person regards as important. Usually, people appreciate things that yield self-gratification, meaning only what concerns self-love. But if the goal is to bestow, it is unnatural that one should regard this as important.

For this reason, if the reason is not a real reason, he cannot go all the way, meaning achieve Dvekut. This is so because when he sees that he will not have self-gratification, he promptly escapes the campaign because the reason for which he took upon himself to keep Torah and Mitzvot was not so as to bestow, but for his own benefit.

For this reason, when he does not feel self-gratification during the work, he is compelled to be negligent in the work, since he sees that he does not feel that this will be a reward for him because the whole basis of his work was in Lo Lishma. However, from Lo Lishma we come to Lishma, so the order is that he is shown what Lishma feels like, meaning not for his own benefit but for the benefit of the Creator, and then he promptly escapes the campaign.

Hence, one must always scrutinize one’s goal, meaning his reason. He must always remember that the goal is to bestow upon the Creator. Then, when he is shown the feeling of bestowal, he does not become confused but knowns that it is difficult because it is against his nature.

Only now, once he sees that it is difficult to work in order to bestow, there is room for prayer from the bottom of the heart because he sees that he cannot do anything except pray to the Creator to give him that strength. For this reason we must always study the past, meaning to have a real reason that compels us to engage in the work of holiness.

“Present” is a discernment that a person feels during the work. A person should do the work of holiness on several aspects. It is as our sages said (Avot, Chapter 1, Discourse 2), “He would say, ‘The world stands on three things—on the Torah, on work, and on good deeds.’”

“World” means “man,” for every person is a small world in and of itself, as it is written in the holy Zohar. In order for man to exist, meaning for man to exist in the world, and feel and attain the Creator as benevolent, he needs the three above mentioned things, since man was created with the evil inclination, which is the desire to receive only for himself.

There was a Tzimtzum [restriction] on that will to receive, meaning concealment of the upper abundance, so the delight and pleasure are not felt before a person achieves equivalence of form, when all his actions are only in order to bestow. For this reason, we need the Torah, as our sages said (Kidushin, 30b), “I have created the evil inclination; I have created for it the Torah as a spice.”

Work is required because work is prayer. A prayer is work in the heart. That is, since the root of man’s heart is the will to receive, and he needs the opposite, meaning that it will work only to bestow and not receive, it follows that he has a lot of work in inverting it.

And since this is against nature, he must pray to the Creator to help him come out of his nature and enter what is discerned as above nature. This is called a “miracle,” and only the Creator can perform miracles. That is, for man to be able to exit self-love is a miraculous act.

RASHI interprets “good deeds” to mean “lending his money to the poor. This is greater than charity because he is not ashamed. Moreover, good deeds applies to rich and poor, to the living and to the dead, to one’s body and to one’s money.” But charity is as was said, “Good deeds is greater than charity,” and as was said, “And the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,” “For I said, ‘A world of mercy shall be built,’ to teach you that the world exists for mercy.”

Because mercy is the exit from self-love to love of the Creator, as Rabbi Akiva said, “Love your neighbor as yourself, this is the great rule of Torah,” in the “present,” we should see that the three above discernments operate in him in the present. At that time he should also include the past in the present, meaning the goal for which he is making all the efforts.

“Future”: He needs to see the future, what can be attained until he achieves his wholeness, since it is known that Ohr Pnimi [Inner Light] means what illuminates in the present, and Ohr Makif [Surrounding Light] is what he should receive in the future.

Usually, when a person makes a deal and invests a lot of money, it is certainly in order to make a lot of money. Accordingly, we understand that if he bought a lot of goods it was in order to make a lot of money by selling the goods right away. That is, the merchant bought goods in the fair. When he brought the goods, and his town’s people saw he brought a lot of goods, they all thought that he would soon rent many shops in order to sell the goods right away. But then they saw that he put all the goods in warehouses and did not want to sell the goods. Yet, everyone saw that although he did not sell the goods, he was as happy as if he had made a fortune. The people close to the merchant could not understand him. They asked, “Why the happy face? After all, you did not sell a thing, and you did not make any money, so why are you so happy?”

He told them: “I bought a lot of goods cheaply because their prices dropped, and all the merchant were reluctant to buy them. I bought them because I know by calculation that two years from now they will be in great demand for they will be rare. At that time this will make me rich. So when I consider my future, I am happy, though at the moment, I have not made any profit.”

Therefore, we see that if the future shines in the present, although he still has nothing in the present, it is of no consequence. Rather, he can be happy about the future as about the present. However, this is so precisely if the future shines in the present. In the language of Kabbalah, it is considered that he enjoys the Ohr Makif, meaning that he enjoys the light that will come in the future.

That is, if he sees that there is a valid way to achieve the goal, although he has not achieved wholeness, if the confidence of the goal illuminates for him he can enjoy in the present as though the Ohr Makif shines for him now in the Kelim.

Baal HaSulam said similarly about the words of our sages, “Righteous say psalms about the future,” meaning that the righteous can say psalms about what is destined to come to them later. That is, they believe that in the end they will be rewarded with wholeness, and based on that they say psalms, even though they have no yet attained wholeness.

This matter is brought in The Zohar (Vayelech, item 47): “Rabbi Elazar said, ‘Israel are destined to say psalms from below upward and from above downward, and tie the knot of faith, as it is written, ‘Then Israel shall sing this singing.’ It does not say, ‘sang,’ but ‘Shall sing,’ meaning in the future.’” It follows that man should receive illumination from Ohr Makif, which is from the future, after the present, and needs to draw it into the present.

This is why all three times—past, present, and future—are included in the present. However, the counsel of the evil inclination is always to the contrary, meaning to divide the three times so they do not illuminate together. Therefore, we must always go against the evil inclination and say, “What it says is certainly not in our favor, as it is not its role to assist us in the work.”

For example, it is written in article no. 11 (Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey) that when the evil inclination says to a person, “Why are you exerting so long is prayer and Torah? After all, your aim is not for the Creator. I can understand why other people exert in Torah and prayer, since their intention is for the Creator, but this is not so with you.” At that time we should reply to it: “On the contrary, I do work for the Creator, and I do not want to listen to you,” since it wishes to obstruct him in the work, meaning cause not to engage in Torah and Mitzvot.

Afterwards it comes and argues, “You are righteous, and your intention is only for the Creator. You are not like other people.” At that time one should say to it: “On the contrary, all my work is not for the Creator, and I know that everything you say is not for my benefit,” since it wishes to fail him with the transgression of pride, which is the worst thing of all, as our sages said, “Anyone who is proud, the Creator says, ‘He and I cannot dwell in the same abode.’” Therefore, one cannot determine which way to go—on the path of lowliness or on the path of greatness. It is all done on a case by case basis.

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

On My Bed at Night

Article No. 23, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

The Zohar (Tazria, item 1) asks about the verse, “On my bed”: “Rabbi Elazar started, ‘On my bed at night I sought him whom my soul loves.’ He asks, ‘It says, ‘On my bed.’ It should have said, ‘In my bed.’’ What is ‘On my bed’? He answers, ‘The assembly of Israel spoke before the Creator and asked Him about the exile, since she is seated among the rest of the nations with her children and lies in the dust. And because she is lying in another land, an impure one, she said, ‘I ask on my bed, for I am lying in exile,’ and exile is called ‘nights.’ Hence, ‘I sought him whom my soul loves,’ to deliver me from it.’”

It is known that the assembly of Israel is Malchut, who contains all the souls. It is also known that every man is considered a small world, as it is written in the holy Zohar, that man consists of the seventy nations of the world. This corresponds to the seven Sefirot, where each Sefira [sin. of Sefirot] consists of ten, thus they are seventy discernments. They are the opposite of Kedusha[holiness], for there are seven Sefirot of Kedusha and the seventy nations of which man consists. This means that each nation has a special lust that pertains to it. Man consists of all seventy lusts that exist in general in the seventy nations.

Within man there is also Israel, which is his self. However, it is called a “point in the heart,” meaning a point of darkness. This means that the Israel in her does not illuminate and she is regarded as Achoraim [posterior]. The reason is that she is in exile under the rule of the seventy nations in a person.

They have the strength to rule over the Israel in her by questions that they ask Israel when he wants to do something for the Creator, which is called Yashar-El [straight to the Creator]. At that time they make one understand that it is not worthwhile to work (but) only for self-love. But concerning in order to bestow, they ask “What,” “What is this work for you,” which we learned is the question of the wicked. And if one wants to overcome his argument, then Pharaoh’s question comes, who said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?”

If these questions do not work on a person the first time, they repeat themselves all day, as it is written (Psalms, 42:11), “With the murder of my bones my adversaries revile me while they say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’” and one cannot come out of their rule. They degrade the Israel in man to the dust, as it is written (Psalms 44), “For our soul has bowed down to the dust; Our belly clings to the ground.” We should interpret that our soul’s bowing down to the dust causes our belly to be attached to the ground.

The “belly” is one’s vessels of reception. This is the meaning of the point in the heart being in the dust, which causes our Kelim [vessels] to have Dvekut [adhesion] only with worldliness, which is self-love.

But if the kingdom of heaven were honored, then we would certainly be honored if we had the chance to serve the Creator with anything. We would regard even the smallest service as a fortune. For such an honor, it would be worthwhile to relinquish all the pleasures that come to us through self-love. This is the meaning of what we say in the supplementary prayer of Shalosh Regalim [Three Pilgrimages], “Our Father, our King, show the glory of Your kingship upon us soon.” That is, we ask of the Creator that since the kingdom of heaven is degraded and in a state of Shechina [Divinity] in the dust, we want the Creator to show us the importance and glory of the kingdom of heaven, and then it will be our great honor to be awarded by it with exiting self-love and to be granted with love of the Creator.

This is the meaning of what The Zohar interprets, “Hence, ‘I sought him whom my soul loves,’ to deliver me from it.” It is known that man consists of three souls: 1) a soul of Kedusha; 2) a soul of Klipat [Klipa of] Noga; 3) a soul of the three impure Klipot [pl. of Klipa]. The soul of Kedushailluminates only as a point. Therefore, the soul of Klipat Noga should connect to the soul of Kedusha, as we explained in previous articles in the name of Baal HaSulam. But since the main operator is the soul of Klipat Noga—since the soul of the three impure Klipot cannot be corrected, and the soul of Kedusha does not need to be corrected because it is holy—then all the work is with the soul of Klipat Noga.

When (one) performs Mitzvot [good deeds/corrections], Klipat Noga joins the Kedusha. When he commits transgressions, the soul of Klipat Noga joins the soul of the three impure Klipot. However, the soul of Kedusha is in Achoraim [posterior], meaning it does not illuminate, and is in lowliness. This is why we do not want to exert to do good deeds so that Klipat Noga will join the Kedusha.

Therefore, “On my bed at night I sought him whom my soul loves,” to bring him out of her, for the soul of Kedusha belongs to the assembly of Israel but is in another, impure land, asking from the one whom my soul loves to get me out of the impure land. That is, since the soul of Kedusha is in lowliness, the soul of Noga does things that the three impure Klipot want. It follows that at that time, when the soul of Kedusha must suffer the rule of the impure Klipot that govern at that time, the soul of Kedusha asks to be delivered from this exile, called “nights.”

It is written there in The Zohar (item 9 in the Sulam [commentary]): “Rabbi Aha says, ‘We learned that the Creator sentences whether a drop is male or female, and you say, ‘A woman who inseminates first, delivers a male.’ Thus, the Creator’s sentence is redundant.’ Rabbi Yosi said, ‘Indeed, the Creator decides between a drop of male and a drop of female. And because He has discerned it, He sentences whether it is to be a male or a female.’”

This explanation is unclear. Because “He has discerned it, He sentences whether it is to be a male.” Why does He need to sentence? It will obviously be either male or female? He interprets there in the Sulam: “There are three partners in a man: the Creator, his father, and his mother. His father gives the white in him; his mother—the red in him; and the Creator gives the soul. If the drop is a male, the Creator gives the soul of a male. If it is a female, the Creator gives the soul of a female. It turns out that when the woman inseminates first, the drop has not become a male yet, if the Creator had not sent within her a soul of a male. This discernment that the Creator discerns in a drop—that it is fit for a soul of a male or a female—is considered ‘the sentencing of the Creator.’ Had He not discerned it and did not send a soul of a male, the drop would not have become a male. Thus, the two statements do not contradict one another.”

To understand all the above in the work we should interpret that all three partners are in one person. “His father and mother” are the causes of the birth of a son. His “father” is the male, called “man,” and “wholeness” because male is regarded as wholeness. His father gives the white because “white” is called “wholeness,” where there is no dirt. His mother is called Nekeva [female] and “woman,” and she is called a “deficiency,” since Nekev [hole] means deficiency [lack] and is called “redness.” It is as we say that when there is red light, you cannot cross, which is called a “barrier,” when you cannot go forward. The Creator gives the soul, since man can do anything, but the spirit of life belongs to the Creator.

The order of the work is that man should divide the workday into day and night. “Day” means wholeness, and “night” means deficiency. In order for a son to be born and have a long life, that son needs to be born by his father and mother, since his father gives the whiteness, meaning the wholeness, regarded as “a male man,” and his mother gives him the lack, called a “female woman.” The wholeness and deficiency should be because a person needs to receive nourishment for sustenance, and then he can work. Likewise, here in the work of the Creator, a person must receive spiritual nourishment, and then he can see what needs to be corrected. Otherwise, without nourishment, he does not have the strength for work, and we receive nourishment only from wholeness.

Therefore, we can elicit wholeness while engaging in Torah and Mitzvot [commandments], for then we do not examine how much we are exerting in keeping Torah and Mitzvot, to do them perfectly and flawlessly, meaning examining ourselves to see if we are fine or not. Rather, at that time we examine the Torah and Mitzvot themselves, meaning whose Torah and Mitzvot we are keeping. We must think about the giver of the Torah, as we bless, “Blessed are you the Lord, Giver of the Torah.” With the Mitzvot we say, “Who has sanctified us with His Mitzvot,” meaning to know that we are keeping the Mitzvot of the Creator.

Therefore, we need to consider the importance of the giver, and derive from this vitality and joy from meriting observing what He has commanded us, to some extent. At that time we should say that although the work is still not “actual observing,” in order to bestow in every way, we should still believe that there are people to whom it did not occur in mind or will to keep Torah and Mitzvot even in the slightest bit. But to us the Creator has given a desire and will to keep a little, meaning with little understanding, but after all we are doing something, while people do not even have that something. When we pay attention to this, we receive from this vitality and nourishment.

This is called “his father gives the white,” as we said that wholeness is called “whiteness,” where there is no dirt. There is a twofold gain here: 1) In this way he receives elation from being adhered to the Whole, meaning to the Creator, and we must believe that what He gives is wholeness. Wholeness makes a man whole, making him feel whole, too. Naturally, he derives nourishment from this, so he can live and persist and then have strength to do the holy work. 2) According to the importance he acquires during the work of wholeness, he will later have room to feel the deficiency with regard to his work, which is not truly pure. That is, at that time he can depict to himself how much he is losing by his negligence in the work, for he can compare between the importance of the Creator and his own lowliness, and this will give him energy to work.

However, one should also correct oneself, or he will remain in the dark and will not see the true light that shines on the Kelim [vessels] that are suitable for it, called “vessels of bestowal.” The correction of the Kelim is called Nukva, deficiency, when he works on correcting his deficiencies. This is regarded as “His mother gives the red.” That is, at that time he sees the red light, which are the barriers on his way, which prevent him from reaching the goal.

Then comes the time of prayer, since the man sees the measures of the work that he has in matters of “mind and heart,” and how he has not progressed in the work of bestowal. He also sees how his body is weak, that he does not have great powers to be able to overcome his nature. For this reason, he sees that if the Creator does not help him, he is lost, as it is written (Psalms 127), “If the Lord does not build the house, they who build it labor in it in vain.”

From those two, meaning from wholeness and deficiency, which are the “father and mother,” it turns out that the Creator is the one who helps him, giving him a soul, which is the spirit of life. And then the newborn is born. This is why our sages said, “There are three partners in man.” The newborn that was born is regarded as a sustainable descendant, meaning that he has a long life. Otherwise, if it does not have the soul that the Creator gives it, that newborn is called “aborted,” meaning it is unsustainable and “falls from its degree.” We should know that the Creator wants to give, as explained in several places that “the upper light does not stop illuminating,” but we need Kelim that are fit to receive.

Therefore, there are two discernments we need to make in what depends on man’s preparation, since there are two forces in man:

1. forces of reception,
2. forces of bestowal.

We need to correct these two forces so they work in order to bestow. The force of bestowal in a person is called “man,” and the force of reception in a person is called “woman,” “female.” Inseminating means that a person makes an effort in order to obtain something. For example, when a person needs wheat, he sows wheat. This means that his work will yield wheat. If he needs potatoes he will sow potatoes. That is, one exerts according to the kind that one wants, and this is what he gets.

It is similar in the work of the Creator. If one wants to correct the vessels of bestowal, called “male,” “man,” which is called “If the man inseminates first,” meaning that his initial thought is to correct the vessels of bestowal, then she “delivers a female,” as it is known that there is an inverse relation between Kelim and lights, since “female light” is called Katnut [smallness/infancy].

“If the woman inseminates first,” meaning that he wants to correct the vessels of reception so they work in order to bestow, then “she delivers a son,” meaning male light, which is the light of Gadlut[adulthood/greatness]. “And the Creator gives the soul.” The Creator distinguishes about the drop, meaning about man’s work, of which type was his “sowing,” meaning preparation. That is, if he wants his vessels of reception to work in order to bestow then the Creator gives him a soul of a male, called “Neshama [soul] of Gadlut.” If he is regarded as a “man,” meaning wants only his vessels of bestowal to work in order to bestow, he receives from the Creator the light of Katnut, called “female.”

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

The Whole of the Torah Is One Holy Name

Article No. 22, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

It is written in The Zohar (Shmini, item 1): “Rabbi Yitzhak started, ‘The whole Torah is one holy name of the Creator, and the world was created in the Torah,’ which was His tool of craftsmanship for creating the world.” It is written there in item two: “Man was created in the Torah, as it is written, ‘And God said, ‘Let us make man…’ It is written in plural form. He said to her, ‘You and I will establish him in the world.’ Rabbi Hiya said, ‘The written Torah, which is ZA, and the oral Torah, which is Malchut, established man.’’”

We see three things here:

1) the whole Torah is one holy name;

2) the world was created with the Torah;

3) man was created with the Torah.

Our sages said about Beresheet [in the beginning] that it is because the Torah is called Resheet[beginning], and because Israel were called Resheet, for the creation of the worlds was in order to do good to His creations, meaning for the souls, so the souls would receive the delight and pleasure. It follows that from the perspective of the Creator it is to bestow, and all that the creatures need is to receive. We already learned that to have equivalence of form the creatures must obtain the Kli[vessel] called “desire to bestow.”

But since we do not have the desire to bestow by nature, we need something to give us that force called “desire to bestow.” That force, which the lower one receives, so as to be able to bestow, is through the Torah, since “the light in it reforms him.” It follows that as Resheet is Israel, we also need the Torah so we can receive the delight and pleasure. Therefore, the Torah is also called Resheet because one does not work without the other.

We know the words of The Zohar that “the Torah and Israel and the Creator are one.” Accordingly, by Israel’s exertion in Torah they are rewarded with the Creator, meaning with the “names of the Creator.”

It follows that we should discern two things in the Torah: 1) the light of Torah, which comes in order to reform him. This is the correction of the Kelim [vessels]. 2) Obtaining the light of Torah, which is the “holy names,” called the “revelation of His Godliness to His creatures in this world” (see in the essay Matan Torah [“The Giving of Torah]).

It therefore follows that when we study Torah we should discern the two above matters: 1) to extend light so it will create for us vessels of bestowal. It is impossible to obtain these Kelim [vessels] without the light of Torah. Therefore, what does he expect? To be rewarded for studying Torah. His only desire is to obtain that Kli, called “vessel of bestowal.” This is precisely once he has begun the work of bestowal and has made great efforts to be able to do things only with the intention to bestow.

Only then can he come to know that the will to receive that was installed in him by nature cannot be cancelled. At that time he begins to understand that he needs “heaven’s mercy,” and only the Creator can help him be rewarded with vessels of bestowal, and this help comes from the light of Torah.

For this reason, during the study we must always pay attention to the purpose of the study of Torah, meaning what we should demand from the study of Torah. At that time we are told that first we must ask for Kelim, meaning to have vessels of bestowal, called “equivalence of form,” by which the restriction and concealment that were placed on the creatures are removed. To the extent that this is so he begins to feel the holiness and begins to have a taste for the work of the Creator. At that time he can be happy because Kedusha [holiness] yields joy, for the light of doing good to His creations shines there.

But if he has not yet decided that we should always walk on the path of bestowal, as our sages said, “all your works will be for the Creator,” this is regarded as “preparation of the Kelim” to be fit for reception of the upper abundance. He wants to be rewarded with vessels of bestowal thorough the study, as our sages said, “The light in it reforms him.”

And once he has been rewarded with vessels of bestowal, he comes to a degree called “attainment of the Torah,” which is the “names of the Creator,” as The Zohar calls it: “The Torah, the Creator, and Israel are one.”

By this we will understand what is written there in The Zohar, item 2: “Man was created in the Torah.” We should understand the connection between the Torah and man, that we can say that man was created from the Torah.

First, we must bring the words of our sages (Yevamot, 61): “Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai would say, ‘The graves of idol-worshippers are not defiled in the tent, as it was said, ‘And you, you are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are man; you are called ‘man,’ and the idol-worshippers are not called ‘man.’’’”

We need to know what is the discernment of “man,” meaning what is the degree of “man” that idol-worshippers cannot be called “man.” Our sages said about the verse (Berachot 212b): “‘In the end of the matter, all having been heard, fear God,’ what is ‘for this is the whole man’? Rabbi Elazar said, ‘The Creator said, ‘The whole world was created only for this.’’”

It follows that man is someone in whom there is fear of heaven. Since man was created with the evil inclination, which removes him from fear of heaven, what is the advice that we can say that by this he will be awarded fear of heaven? To this comes the answer that through Torah he will be able to defeat the evil inclination, as our sages said, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice, for the light in it reforms him.” Accordingly, we can interpret that “Man was created by the Torah,” since the reason why the discernment of “man” can emerge is specifically through the Torah. This is the meaning of “Man was created in the Torah.”

In this way we can interpret what he wrote there in the holy Zohar, “The world was created in the Torah.” This, too, is difficult to understand. What is the connection between the Torah, which is a spiritual thing, and the Torah is called the “names of the Creator,” so how does the corporeal world extend from it? According to the above we can resolve that it means that “the world was created” refers to the whole world, meaning a world in which there are souls, for the purpose of creation was to do good to His creations, to the souls, for the creatures to receive delight and pleasure. Since the creation of the world refers to the will to receive, in order to have equivalence of form between branch and root, there was the Tzimtzum [restriction], meaning concealment, so the upper light, which is delight and pleasure, will not be revealed.

Thus, how can the world exist, so they can receive and not die, as it occurred in the breaking of the vessels, which broke and died because they could not aim to bestow? Through the Torah, whose light reforms him, they will receive vessels of bestowal, and with these Kelim they will be able to receive abundance and pleasure and exist because they will be able to receive in order to bestow.

This is the meaning of “The world was created with the Torah.” The creation of the world, which was in order to “do good to His creations,” was immediately with the intention to bestow, and this was done by the Torah. It follows from all the above that we must always consider the goal, which is to “do good to His creations.” If the evil inclination comes to a person and asks him all of Pharaoh’s questions, he should not reply with lame excuses, but say, “Now, with your questions, I can begin with the work of bestowal.”

This means that we should not say about the questions of the evil inclination that it came to us in order to lower us from our degree. On the contrary, now it is giving us a place to work, by which we will ascend on the degrees of wholeness. That is, any overcoming in the work is called “walking in the work of the Creator,” since each penny joins into a great amount.” That is, all the times we overcome accumulate to a certain measure required to become a Kli for the reception of the abundance.

Overcoming means taking a part of a vessel of reception and adding it to the vessels of bestowal. It is like the Masach [screen], which we must put on the Aviut [thickness/will to receive]. It follows that if one has no will to receive, one has nothing on which to place a Masach. For this reason, when the evil inclination brings us foreign thoughts, this is the time to take these thoughts and raise them above reason.

This is something one can do with everything one’s soul desires. He should not say that now he has received rejection from the work. Rather, he should say that he was given thoughts and desires from above so as to have room to admit them into Kedusha [holiness]. It therefore follows that it is to the contrary: because he is brought closer from above, he was sent work.

It was said about this: “The ways of the Lord are straight; righteous walk in it and transgressors fail in it.” That is, if he is rewarded, he receives an ascent by it. If he is not (rewarded), he receives by it a descent in spirituality. The order of descents is gradual, each according to his order. Normally, a person forgets, meaning he forgets that there is the matter of work at all, that he must yearn for Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator.” Instead, all the energy he had goes into corporeal things, meaning that at that time he finds more flavor in corporeal things.

That is, while he was connected to the work of the Creator, he was slightly removed from corporeal things. This means that he did not appreciate (corporeal things) as something to consider. But when he begins to veer off from the work, every corporeal thing, which he regarded as unimportant, becomes so important to him that the smallest thing becomes a great disturbance to him, and blocks him in the middle of the way, and he cannot move forward.

Sometimes, during the descent he has received, he remembers that there is such a thing as spiritual work. When he remembers it he is saddened, and this sadness makes him want only to sleep. That is, he wants to remove himself from the situation he is in, and he thinks that through sleep he will forget about his situations. Sometimes he gives up altogether, meaning he says, “I don’t see any progress in me. On the contrary, as much as I exert—and I should have made some progress, according to the efforts I have made in order to obtain something in spirituality—I see that I keep going backwards. It must be that this work, meaning work of bestowing, is not for me because I am unfit for it.”

Usually, people say, “I have a weak character so I haven’t the strength to overcome my desires.” Sometimes they become smarter and say, “I don’t see anyone who was awarded anything in spirituality.” So after all his arguments with his body, the body makes him see that he is one hundred percent right, which brings him into a state where he wants to escape the campaign, reenter the corporeal world like everyone else, and not be smarter than everyone, but go with the flow. And most of all, he is certain it cannot be any different from what he has decided.

What does the Creator do? Once (one) has forgotten everything, he suddenly receives some awakening from the Creator and a longing for spirituality begins to seep into his heart again. He begins to work persistently once more, and the force of confidence works within him, as though he is certain to be rewarded with nearing the Creator. He forgets all the promises he has made with a clear mind and precise calculation to the point that he regretted the beginning, meaning that his heart regretted ever getting into this mess called “work of bestowal.” He was one hundred percent certain that his calculation was one hundred percent right, but the awakening from above he has received now makes him forget it all.

The reason is that so is the order of the real work: from above they want to show him that man is nothing, with all of his intellect, unless he asks the Creator to help him. If this happens, meaning that he knows for certain that it is impossible that he will be able to come out of the state he is in, under the rule of self-love, called “exile in Egypt,” which applies both in mind and in heart.

However, if a person only says and does not feel one hundred percent that he cannot do anything, then the real nearing does not come from above. Rather, then what happened before repeats itself, namely that thoughts and desires from the body come to him once more, and he begins the old arguments once more, and falls into those states again, and decides once more to escape the campaign, and makes the above decisions once again. Later, an awakening from above comes to him once more, which is called a “call,” when he is being called upon, and there is a desire to bring him closer to the Creator once again. But then, if he does not exert in the opportunity he is given, the same order as before repeats itself.

This is similar to what we find in The Zohar (Tazriah, item 6): “‘Her price is far above pearls.’ It should have said ‘worth,’ that it is harder to buy her than pearls. Why does it say ‘price’? He replies that she sells and turns over to other nations all those who do not fully cling to her and are not whole with her, as you say, ‘And the children of Israel abandoned the Lord, and He sold them to the hand of Sisera.’ And then they are all far from those high and holy pearls, which are the secrets and the internality of the Torah, for they will have no share in them. This is why it is written, ‘For her price is far above pearls.’”

Therefore, we must not be frightened at the body sometimes showing us dark colors. Rather, we must always be strengthened above reason and not heed the body’s advice, which tells us about separation from Kedusha. Rather, we must overcome with true prayer and we are certain to be saved and come out from the slavery of the rule of Egypt and be rewarded with redemption.

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link

We Should Always Discern between Torah and Work

Article No. 21, Tav-Shin-Mem-Hey, 1984-195

We should always discern between Torah and work. “Torah” stands in and of itself. At that time we cannot speak of a person, but it is as though man is not there at all. Instead, we speak of the Torah in and of itself, which is regarded as the names of the Creator, and we note its importance, namely of whom we speak.

That is, we must always remember that we are speaking of the King, how He has placed order and guidance, how His holy names bestow upon the souls, and they will receive them and be able to exist as they reveal them, as it is written, “Who will climb up the mountain of the Lord, and who will rise in His holy place?”

When one pays attention and feels of whom he speaks, that he is speaking of the Creator, but we haven’t the understanding so as to have some connection so we will understand that we are speaking of the Creator, and we must only believe that the whole Torah is the names of the Creator. However, He is dressed either in rules and conducts that one must keep the Mitzvot between man and God or between man and man, or in stories and tales, or they are clothed in the language of Kabbalah and the holy names. At that time we must remember that the internality clothed inside those dresses is only Godliness. This is called “the whole Torah is the names of the Creator.”

Therefore, when we learn Torah we should learn with manners. That is, we must remember of whom we are speaking, and in this way we can draw the light of Torah and feel that “They are our lives and the length of our days.” Naturally, when learning with the above intention, one can be happy because he is attached to the life of lives, which is called “For they are our lives and the length of our days.” This is so because one begins to feel the discernment of “to do good to His creations,” which was the reason for the creation of the worlds.

We must elicit this good from the Torah, and this is regarded as speaking only in praise of the Torah, and do not think at all of man. Therefore, when learning Torah, a person is in wholeness, according to the rule, “Where one thinks, there he is.” One should receive vitality from this time to the rest of the day, for this is called “A separate time for Torah, and a separate time for prayer,” since they contradict one another.

Work time is something altogether different. Work relates specifically to man, while Torah relates specifically to the Creator, which is called “the Lord’s Torah.” However, work relates specifically to man because man must work, as it is written, “For man is born for labor.”

Since man is the creation, and creation is deficiency, which his existence from absence, and that existence, called “desire to receive,” must be satisfied, since this is the purpose of creation. And since there was a Tzimtzum [restriction] on that desire for the purpose of equivalence of form, it is necessary to correct and remove the Tzimtzum on that desire so it can achieve the goal called “His desire to do good.”

To remove the Tzimtzum, we were given the remedy of Torah and Mitzvot [commandments]. This is called, “I have created the evil inclination; I have created the Torah as a spice.” And here, in the matter of work, we should discern is one is advancing toward the goal of removing the Tzimtzum, meaning if there are already sparks of bestowal, meaning that he has already received something from the remedy of the Torah and Mitzvot in the form of cleansing the thought and the desire, and is in a state of self-criticism in matters of work.

But one should not criticize oneself at all in the Torah. Rather, he should learn Torah as is. All we have to do is seek advice how to appreciate the Torah, but the Torah itself is a reality called “the names of the Creator.” It follows that when we learn some laws or morals from the Torah, or even just stories, or the manner of the work, all this is still not regarded as Torah. We only learn this from the Torah, but the Torah itself has no relation to the creature, only to the Creator, since it is the names of the Creator.

That is, the Torah is called “the revelation of Godliness,” and this is called the “internality of the Torah.” What is revealed outside, the laws and morals, and manners of work, and stories, these are all called “dresses on the Torah.” This is why they are called the “externality of the Torah.” But the names of the Creator are called the “internality of the Torah.”

According to the above we should ask, “If the Torah in and of itself relates to the Creator, which is Godliness, then it is similar only to interpretation. What can one deduce from learning Torah if he does not understand anything in relation to himself?” Our sages said about this: “Great is the learning that leads to action,” for man certainly needs only actions, as it is written, “Which God has created to do.”

Therefore, “The learning is not the most important, but the action.” To this comes the reply: “Great is the learning that leads to action” (Kidushin, p 40, and Baba Kama 207). In other words, the light of Torah, which is the internality, shines for a person so he will have the strength to do good deeds. This is done by the power of Torah, which gives him the strength to be able to do it, as it is written, “Which God has created to do.”

This is the meaning of what our sages said, “A separate time for Torah, and a separate time for prayer,” for they contradict one another. This is so because while learning Torah, one must think only about the importance of Torah, and not at all about himself. But during the prayer one must first of all have his deficiencies revealed, so he can ask that they will be fulfilled, since there is no deficiency if it is not looked for.

Only in corporeality are the deficiencies revealed, since the deficiencies come from the will to receive, and the will to receive is revealed. This is not so in spirituality, where the whole structure of Kedusha[holiness] is built on the basis of desire to bestow, and because we attribute the desire to bestow to the creature.

It was explained that Malchut, called “will to receive,” desires equivalence of form, called “to bestow.” Therefore, when this matter extends to the creatures, who come after the breaking of the vessels that occurred, and also after the sin of the tree of knowledge, then that deficiency, where one feels that he is lacking the Kli [vessel], called “desire to bestow,” is no longer present.

Instead, one must exert until he feels the lack of the desire to bestow. To the extent that he feels that deficiency he can pray to the Creator to help him, to give him that Kli, that all his concerns will be only that he does not have this force called “desire to bestow. To the extent that he is far from that Kli he should regret and ask for the Creator’s mercy, that He will deliver him and give him that desire.

Moreover, we can say that one should ask the Creator to give him that deficiency, meaning to feel that he is devoid of the desire to bestow, and that this is all that is stopping him from achieving spirituality, since that deficiency does not come by itself.

It therefore follows that the Creator should give man both the Kli and the light. By this we can interpret the verse, “You have fashioned me from behind and from before.” “From behind” means the Kli; “from before” means the anterior, which is the filling. It turns out that the light, as well as the Kliall come from Him.

This is the meaning of what our sages said (Kidushin, 30), “Our sages said, ‘Vesamtem [and you shall put] means Sam Tam [complete potion]; the Torah is as a potion of life.’” This is what the Creator said to Israel: “My sons, I have created the evil inclination; I have created for it the Torah as a spice. If you engage in Torah, you will not be given to its hand.” The thing is that the light in the Torah, which is the internality of the Torah, reforms him. However, we must intend to receive the light of Torah during the study, as is explained in the “Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot,” item 17.

Inapoi la pagina 1985 (ŞLAVEY HASULAM (TREPTELE SCĂRII) – link